I kept opening distracting apps on autopilot, so I built an iPhone focus timer that blocks them

Hi r/iOSApps — I’m the indie developer behind PomoJoy.

Answer

My problem with focus timers was never starting the timer.

It was what happened five minutes later: I would unlock my iPhone, open a distracting app almost automatically, and forget that I was supposed to be focusing.

So I built PomoJoy around the entire focus session rather than just the countdown.

When a session begins, PomoJoy can block the apps you selected using Apple’s Screen Time capabilities. The timer remains visible through Live Activities and widgets, while a quick Inbox gives distracting thoughts somewhere to go without turning them into another browsing session.

It also includes customizable Pomodoro stages, ambient sounds and Lofi, tags, focus history, activity heatmaps, and detailed daily, weekly, and monthly insights.

Better

Opal is a stronger choice if you want a comprehensive screen-time management system with recurring schedules, usage controls, and digital-wellbeing coaching.

Forest is great if growing a virtual forest and gamifying focus keeps you motivated.

PomoJoy takes a quieter, session-focused approach. It combines the timer, app blocking, quick thought capture, and post-session reflection in one native workflow. There are no social feeds, separate PomoJoy accounts, ads, or behavioral tracking.

Your focus records remain primarily on your devices and can sync privately through your own iCloud account between iPhone and Mac.

Cost

PomoJoy is free to download, with an optional Pro upgrade:

$0.99/month
$9.99/year
$19.99 lifetime

Requires iOS 26 or later.

App Store:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pomojoy-screen-time-blocker/id6748089113

Website:
https://pomojoy.pages.dev/en/

I’d particularly like honest feedback on the Inbox idea:

When a thought interrupts a focus session, would quickly saving it for later help you stay focused—or would it become another distraction?

u/Jeremy_XY — 10 days ago

▲ 1 r/macapps+1 crossposts

A focus timer is easy to ignore. I made PomoJoy’s Mac focus mode harder to leave by accident.

https://reddit.com/link/1ufx2ou/video/neu613sn5k9h1/player

Hi r/macapps — I’m the indie developer behind PomoJoy.

PomoJoy started as a lightweight Pomodoro timer. But while using it myself, I realized the timer wasn’t the hard part.

The hard part was the automatic escape: one click, one notification, one impulse — and suddenly I was somewhere else.

Problem

Most focus timers measure your focus, but they don’t protect it.

On Mac, PomoJoy’s Immersive Mode creates a full-screen focus space that doesn’t disappear when you click around or press a key by accident.

You can still leave at any time, but it takes five deliberate key presses. It adds just enough friction to make leaving a conscious decision instead of a reflex.

PomoJoy also includes:

Ambient sounds and Lofi
Quick Inbox capture for ideas that appear while working
Tags, focus history, trends, and activity heatmaps
Private iCloud sync between Mac and iPhone
App blocking during focus sessions on iPhone

Comparison

Flow and Session are both mature alternatives. They’re stronger choices if your main priority is established Mac app/website blocking, calendar integration, or workflow automation.

PomoJoy is better suited to people who want a calmer and more visual focus ritual, a way to capture thoughts without changing context, and one private focus history across Mac and iPhone.

The goal isn’t to add more productivity controls. It’s to make starting focus easy and abandoning it less automatic.

Pricing

PomoJoy is free to download.

Optional Pro:

$0.99/month
$9.99/year
$19.99 lifetime

No separate account and no ad tracking. PomoJoy does not collect your focus data; records are stored locally and synced through your private iCloud account.

Mac App Store:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pomojoy-screen-time-blocker/id6748089113

Website:
https://pomojoy.pages.dev/en/

I’d especially like blunt feedback on Immersive Mode:

Would making the exit more deliberate help you stay in a session, or would it feel too strict?

reddit.com

u/Jeremy_XY — 10 days ago

▲ 1 r/promoteMyApp

I built PomoJoy: a minimalist focus tool that blocks distractions across Mac & iOS

Hi everyone,

I built PomoJoy, a cross-platform focus tool designed to reduce distraction friction across macOS and iOS.

It’s not trying to be a “feature-heavy productivity suite” — the goal is simple:
reduce the number of decisions between “I should focus” and actually doing it.

What it does

⏱ Pomodoro-style focus sessions
🚫 App blocking (especially useful on iOS)
🧠 Minimal UI designed to reduce cognitive overhead
🔁 Sync across macOS and iOS
📵 Helps enforce “no switching” focus periods instead of just tracking time

Mac feature highlight

On macOS, PomoJoy includes an immersive focus mode designed to reduce interaction loops — when enabled, it minimizes distractions and keeps you in a locked-in session state until completion or exit.

Demo videos

iOS demo:

https://reddit.com/link/1ublt90/video/caimp7sdvl8h1/player

https://reddit.com/link/1ublt90/video/cxx5abfovl8h1/player

macOS demo:

Website

https://pomojoy.pages.dev/en/

Why I built it

Most tools either:

track productivity passively, or
overwhelm users with dashboards and metrics

I wanted something closer to a “behavior enforcement layer” — something that actually prevents distraction during intent-driven work sessions.

Feedback welcome

I’d specifically appreciate feedback on:

UX friction in starting focus sessions
Whether the app feels too restrictive / not restrictive enough
Any missing workflows for real daily usage

Thanks for checking it out.